Surface ornamenting machine



Feb. 27, 1945. KOPPlNGER 2,370,317

SURFACE ORNAMENTING MACHINE Original Filed July 19, 19-39 2 Sheets-Sheet l INV ENTOR Mfaks arye/f z'nyer TORNEY5.

Feb. 27, 1945. N. G. KOPPINGER 3 SURFACE ORNAMENTING MACHINE.

Original Filed July 19,1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i g BY ll/l calas 6. Kay 12223:

A 'l TOR N15 K9.

Patented Feb. 27, 1945 UNITED iiST-A'IZES BATE N iT' :osmfcs SURFACE ORNAMENTING MACHINE- Nicholas G. Koppinger, St: iairi Shores,: Mich., assignor to Briggs" Manuiacturing. Company, 3 Detroit, Mich", a corporation otMichigan Original apPIicationJuly I9,"'1939,1'Serial"No. 285,373. Divided and thisapplication February 28, 1942, 'SerialNo. 432,752

.10Glainis. 401.:101-154) v bodyingthe .presentinvention; the "workpiece be- This invention relates 'tosurface ornamentlng or decorating.- machines, "and more particularly to machines for applying surface'ornamentatlUIlSSLlCh as awood graining'finish to curved,

metal-surfaces such, for instance, as metal moldlIlgSfOl windows 'of' motor vehicle bodies. The present application is a division of my copending application Patent'No. 2,280,413, .April 21, 1942.

One of'the objects 'of'the present inventionis to provide, a surface ornamenting or decorating machine whichcan apply a. desiredjdesign; or ornamentation to a curved surface without. distorting such: design, particularly. in-places where the curvatureof the. surface. .changeszatan increased rate .suchifor instance-as incorners.

Another object of.'ithe ..in.vention isto provide a machine of. the .character.specified in. the preceding-paragraph, which enables applying -the'..desired ornamentation.economicallyand at a rate acceptable for quantity production.

Still another object o:.theinvention is to provide a surface decorating machine which: may be easily and safely. operatedby an unskilled worker.

A further object-of the inventionis to. provide a surfaceornamenting. machine adapted to. apply an ornamentationof a desiredndesign to a...surface and including; improved ,means. adapted .to .vary adjustably the zcharacter. ofsuch. design to make itselectively more light or heavy. v

.A still further. obiectof the. inventionis to provide asurface ornamenting machine having an inking: roller, in which machine 1 improved means are provided to permit. adjustments for varyingwhe amount of-paint-or printing ink received bysaidroller fortransfer to. the belt.

. A still further obiectzof .the invention nis .t

provide a surface. decorating:machinezhavingr a mg shown therein inthe printing position.

Fig:- 2--is an end view iliustratingon an 'enlarged scale the design roller'and the'improved .inkingmeans'therefor.

Fig? 3;is' a-fragmentary .side' view' illustrating the design'roller andtheimprov'ed scraping and inkregulating meanstherefor. l

Fig: 4'- is a perspective view "of the upper portion of the: machine viewedrrom the front lefthand corner thereof.

Fig.- 5. is arearelevation'bi the "machine. (Before explaining in detail therpresent invention it is to be understood that'theinvention is not limited inits application to the details of .constructionuand arrangement of parts: illustratedin'the accompanyingdrawings, since the invention is capableof other. embodiments and of being practiced or carriedput in various ways. Also it. is to bennderstoodthat the phraseology .or terminolo y .employed herein .is for. the purpose bi'ndescription and. not (of. limitation.

ilnlthe drawings .thereis shown, by way of example, a surface. decorating or. ornamenting machine embodying the present invention. The machine. illustrated in. the drawings. and hereinafterr described is constructed especially for applying surfaceornamentation to. automobile window. moldings, which. ornamentation is usually inthe' .form of. alwoodhgrainifinlsh. It will be understood, howeven that' themachines embodyingthepresentinvention are not limited for the above use and maybe successfullysused for applying lornamentationslto. other. articles or work- .pieces,. particularly-.those having curved or irregular surfaces.

. Reierringrtothe. drawings and particularly to 1, the machine illustrated therein comprisesygenerally a base -Mlpreferably Of a cir- *-.cularform-,dnz which base .thereis .afiixed an. up-

standing standard 2l which serves as. a main framebr skeleton-.memben-lon which-the entire machine is..-assembled. To. the upperend-of said standard 2| thereissecured. in any suitable man- "net. axing-or eyelet -22 bywhich the entire-mareference being had. to the accompanying: drawings forming a .partofthis specification wherein like reference characters designate correspondingv parts in: the several wiews.

Fig; 1 is a perspective wieWDfthe anachineemgchinetmayvbe raised-with themse-of. ac-rane for transportingithe machine about the plant.

- The operative mechanisms of the machine may be divided. structurally into three parts 1 in acrcordancewith "the way .-in--which .theyare mounted; the upper; portion. including the drive, .thedesignorinking roller and the driving pulley (tor the transfer. belt; the-lower portion including .thezform roller, the work supporting table and the associated mechanisms; and the pedal mechanism-mounted on the base 20.

The upper portion comprises a sleeve 23 fitting on the standard 2|, which sleeve is split for a portion of its length and may be drawn together with the aid of a suitable screw to grasp the standard and thus to b set at any desired position on the standard for raising or lowering of the transfer belt 3|]. The mechanisms comprised by the lower portion are assembled on a sleeve 3| set permanently on the standard 2| for a definite type of work.

The upper portion of the machine comprises generally a pulley for driving the transfer belt,

an inking or design roller for transferring the printing ink of a predetermined pattern to the. transfer belt, means for supplying ink to the inking roller, and scraper means for removing the excess ink from the inking roller, as well as scraper means for cleaning the transfer belt. The upper portion of the machine also carries means for driving said pulley, the inking roller and the ink supplying means. The lower-portion includes a form roller or idler pulley over which, the transfer beltpasses, which pulleyor roller generally conforms to the cross sectional shape of the molding; a swinging table for supporting the molding in its operative position; guide rollers for guiding the workpiece during the printing operation and maintaining the contact between said work-piece and the transfer belt; and means. for locking the swinging table in the supporting position. On the base 20 there is mountedthepedal 33 which operates the mechanismscarried by said lower portion.

Referring now more particularly to the draw.- ings, there is provided on the upper sleeve 23a platform 35 on which there is mounted an electric motor 36 drivingly connected by means of a suitable belt 31 with a speed reducing box 38- of any suitable construction. On the continuation of the shaft 39 of thespeed reducing box there is mounted a driving pulley 40. The shaft of the speed reducing box is connected by means of a train of gears, the last gear whereof is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, with the shaft of the inking or design roller 4|. I prefer to have the driving pulley 40 and the inking roller 4! operate at the same rotative speed. In, order to prevent slippage of the belt 30 at the inking roller 5 4|, the sizes of the driving pulley and the inking roller have to be properly selected. 'I prefer to have an inking roller which has a radius equal substantially to the sum of the radius of the driving pulley 40 plus the thickness ofthe belt. A

small correction of the above geometric calculation may be necessary in order to provide for slight compression of the transfer belt between the inking roller 4i and a pressure roller 42, as well as for the slight stretching of the relatively heavy belt 30 due to the centrifugal force of operation.

The inking or design roller 4| is in the form of a cylinder. on the outside surface whereof it is chromium plated to provide a better wearing surface. The image or design on the roller 4| is produced by minute depressions or indentations of varying sizes, which depressions retain the printing ink. When a relatively soft belt comes in contact with the surface, the ink retained in said depressions is partly transferred onto the surface of the belt.

Means for supplying ink to the design roller com-prise, in the present embodiment, a rotary pump 43, driven by a shaft of which the shaft of the inking roller 4| is a continuation. The intake side of the pump is connected by means of a pipe 44 composed of a plurality of sections to produce proper turns, with a reservoir 45 which serves as both an overflow and a supply reservoir. The discharge side of the pump 48 is provided with a pipe connection 48 having a discharge nozzle 41 adapted to discharge the ink in a thin wide stream onto the surface of the rotating inking roller 4|.

The ink delivered by the discharge nozzle 41 covers the surface of the inking roller completely, and being of a certain density it formson the surface of the inking roller a layer of a considerable thickness. Therefore, means are provided to scrape off the excess paint from the surface of the inking roller and to leave the ink only in the above mentioned depressions or indentations. In the present embodiment the scraping means are in the form of a thin blade 50 secured in a shaft 5| journalled in a bracket 52. The bracket 52 is secured by means of screws 53 to the extension provided on the sleeve 23, the holes in said bracket 52 being larger than is necessary for the passage of the shanks of the screws 53. The shaft 5| extends through the lower end of the bracket 52 and a bent rod 54 is secured by means of acollar to the projecting end of the shaft 5|, as is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The rod 54 has a portion extending vertically from the scraper shaft, and. thence the rod is bent to provide a lateral extension having a weight 55 adjustably mounted on its end which tends to rotate the blade in the direction to press said blade against the surface of the inking roller. As the roller rotates, the scraper blade 50 scrapes of! the ink from the surface thereof leaving the ink in the pattern indentations only. By virtue of the provision of the adjustable bracket 52 the scraper blade may be moved toward and away from the inking roller changing the angle at which the scraper blade 50 contacts the surface of the inking roller. Changing this angle enables varying the quantity of ink which is left on the inking roller and, therefore, it enables transferring more or less ink to the transfer belt 30, thereby making the character of the design transfer to the workpiece adjustable, i. e. either heavier or lighter as the circumstances may require. The blade 50 may also be moved with the aid of the adjustments of the bracket 52 to give uniform pressure on the roller 5lalong the entire length of the blade 50. This feature is very important, since in some prior structures of this general character there was no means for adjusting the blade to correct the design which would come out heavier on one side.

The pressure roller 42 is swinglngly mounted on the bracket 58 adjustable with respect to the roller 4| by means of a screw 51. The bracket 55 carries a screw 58 serving as a hinge for a bent arm 59 one end of which carries the pressure roller 42 while on the other end there is provided an adjustable weight 50, see Fig. 1. By moving duce heavier or lighterdesign'bn the workpiece.

Thus, second design adjustment means are providedin ,my'improved machine." In the-casewrhen fighter design i produced on'fthe wdrkpiecqmore 'untransferredink is left on thettran'sfer. belt and; therefore, ,itis necessary to)" have means which'remove'theink'left on the transfer belt '30 afterfit contacts"the workpiece...and before, it comesin contact with the. inking roller 4 i0r re ceiving an w impression. .Said means .are. ex emplified. inithe present embodiment. of. the ..invention by! asaraper 5|..whichis best .Shownin Fig. l. The: scraper.- .61. is. mounted similarlyto the scraper 50 and, is provided with an adjustable weight "Bl-servingthe purpese-sim-ilar'to that of they weight .55. The .amaunt of. ink. which-is -remoyed by. the-scraper 5| isaelativeIyIsmalI and-it may be'wm d 35mm thesscraper .61 from time-to time. It.mav be advisable 'stO. provide atsmall i containerunder the scraper--61 iifis;light--designs are produced by the. machine most: of. thetime. For 01824111181118 sidesv of. rthe belt; .30. 5 there are providedfside.scrapersrfiirbestishowmin Fig; 1. switch box .63; is also mounted on thenpper portionv or ithe: :maclnne;.: which box: f-isilpl'fllllided with a plug connectionsfl for connecting'the ma chine with a source of electric eurrent for operating the motor 36.

The lower portion of the machine is mounted on the sleeve 3| as mentioned. Said lower portion comprises an idler pulley or form roller generally indicated by the numeral which is mounted on a shaft ll floatingly journalled in a bracket 12 provided on the sleeve 3|. The roller I0 is of a laminated construction and is shaped to the general form of, the cross section of the workpiece. The belt 30 is passed over the driving roller 40 and-the form roller 10. The belt 30 is of a type generally used in printing work. It comprises generally a base made of a material capable of sustaining the upper layer of a glue and gelatin composition providing a smooth pigment-receiving surface.

A swinging table I3 is hingedly mounted on the lower sleeve 3|, said table being provided for easy manual operating with counterbalancing means including a weight 19, said weight tending to maintan the table 13 in its raised position. External means, operated with the aid of the pedal 33 are provided for bringing the table 13 into its lower or loading position.

There are also provided means for locking the table 13 in said lower position, unlocking thereof being done by manipulating the pedal 33. The pedal 33 is also used to operate the guide rollers Bl provided with grooves receiving the edge of a workpiece 80 and affecting actual contact of said workpiece and the transfer belt 30. In operation, with the belt 30 being driven from the motor 36, the workpiece 8D is manipulated manually and is moved around'past the transfer belt -30 at the form roller 10 until the entire length of the workpiece 80 is printed upon.

When the printing operation is completed, the operator lowers the table by continued pressure on the pedal 33. When the pedal is locked in its lowermost position, which is done automatically, the decorated workpiece is removed from the machines-and; a 'ine'w time :istiirisented ai-similaranannerx: f

The. .constructioni :of'ltlie:.-1bwer portionlot the machineodoeswnot; or :itselfwform aupart of .the

presentninrention,a:anct therefore, moslmore de- 'tailedzdescniption thereof as well .as 'ntheristsuctubal features. Eofithe machinesisildeemed races sary herd the same bein'gadescribed 'in sdetallvin my=:said. copending :application 'Fa-tent i NO? 2,280,- 413; April- :21; ?1942 got-which? the present application isa division. i I

There -:is1-thus' provided an improvedzf surface decorating machine including"a tnansfervmember or belt and annmproved rollen improved ink scraping and belt 1 apressing means 1 therefor, whereby "ink transferring function of said =-rolier is; rreg' ulatedwtd give thedesired" characterhf printed design. Thus, the objects of the present invention listed above andnumerous adc'litioi'lal advantages are attained. t I Islaim:

f 1; arsurface ornamenting machine, a transfer 'b elt e'xtendin g continuouslyover two pulleys and having substantially parallel coursjes there between, an inking roller operativelyemoun ted adjacent said -belta". and adapted to *engage the same: .at' the workingsurface Ethereal intermediatessaid -pulleys, a pressure-roller operatively mounted between said pulleys and: said bel t coursesand adapted-toeng'age said belt from the non-working surface thereof and to press said belt against saidinking'roller; and meansfor adgustably varying the pressureof 'said pressure roller on said inking roller in orderto vary adjustably the amount of ink transferred'to said belt.

2. In a surface ornamenting machine, a transfer belt operatively arranged over two pulleys, an inking roller operatively mounted adjacent said belt and adapted to engage the same at the working surface thereof intermediate said pulleys, a pressure roller operatively mounted between said pulleys and adapted to engage said belt from the non-working surface thereof and to press said belt against said inking roller, and an adjustable counterweight for varying the pressure of said pressure roller on said inking roller in order to vary adjustably the amount of ink transferred to said belt.

3. In a surface ornamenting machine, a driving pulley and a form pulley, a transfer belt operatively arranged over said pulleys, an inking roller adapted to transfer ink in a desired pattern to said transfer belt at a point intermediate said pulleys, and a positive driving connection between said driving pulley and said inking roller.

4. In a surface ornamenting machine, a driving pulley and a form pulley, a transfer belt operatively arranged over said pulle'ys,.an inking 'roller'adapted to transfer ink in a desired pattern to said transfer belt, and a positive driving connection between said driving pulley and said inking roller, said driving pulley having a radius and inking roller being such that the linear speed of travel of the belt is substantially the same as the peripheral speed'of travel of the roller.

:6. In a surface ornamenting machine, a driving pulley,. an idler pulley spaced therefrom, a transfer belt extending continuously around said pulleys and connecting the same, an inking roller arranged to contact said belt at a point intermediate-said pulleys, and means for rotating said driving pulley and inking roller at the same speed, the radius or the driving pulley being less than the radius of the inking roller by substantially the thickness of said belt.

'1. In a surfaceornamenting machine, a transfer belt operatively arranged over two pulleys and having vertically extending substantially parallel courses between said pulleys, an inking roller operatively mounted adjacent said belt and adapted to engage the same at the working surface thereof intermediate said pulleys, a pressure roller operatively mounted between the courses of said belt opposite said inking roller and adapted to engage said belt fromthe non-working surface thereof and to press said belt against said inking roller. 7

8. In a surface ornamenting machine, a transfer belt extending continuously over two pulleys and having substantially parallel courses therebetween, an inking roller operatively mounted adjacent said belt and adapted to engage the same at the working surface thereof intermediate said pulleys, a pressure roller operatively mounted between said pulleys and said belt courses and adapted toengage said belt from the non-working surface thereof and to press said belt against said hiking roller, and an adjustable counterweight varying the pressure of said pressure roller on said inking roller in order to vary adjustably the amount of ink transferred to sal belt. t Y

9. In a surface ornamenting machine, a transfer belt operatively arranged over two pulleys and having substantially parallel courses between said pulleys, an inking roller operatively mounted adjacent said belt and adapted to engage the same at the working surface thereof intermediate said pulleys, a pressure roller operatively mounted between the courses of said belt opposite said inking roller and adapted to engage said belt from the non-working surface thereof and to press said belt against said inking roller.

10. In a surface omamenting machine, a transfer belt, an inking roller arranged to contact the working surface of said belt and to transfer ink thereto, a scraper blade cooperable with said roller, a supporting bracket, a rock shaft ex tending through said bracket, said bladebeing mounted on said shaft at one side of the bracket, 2. rod connected directly to said shaft atthe'opposite side of said bracket, a counterweight carried by said rod, and means for adjusting the position of said bracket to position the shaft and said blade nearer or further from said roller, said rod and counterweight being adjustable as to po-' sition bodily with said bracket. NICHOLAS G. KOPPINGER, 

